Emily Dickinson paints an elaborate picture of how the brain is open to
mountains of information that would put Mount Everest to shame. She states
that the Brain is “deeper than the sea.” Personifying the information into
the vast ocean, she gives us a biting image of the endlessness she feels
our minds have. I also believe this is a personal message to the world to
leave your mind open for traveling through worlds unexplored. It moves me
as to what we are capable of as thinking human beings.

The Brain- is wider than the sky-”, is about how big and important the mind
really is.” It mentions “The Brain- is wider than the Sky- For put them
side by side-” That part of the poem is saying if you put your mind next to
the sky, your mind will be wider, because it holds a knowledge that is more
infinite than the sky.. Mind is much more than anything in the universe.
Dickinson is emphasizing how important the human mind is. Emily compares
mind to the sky and the sea, two large things on our atmosphere. She is
trying to show that no matter what, compared to anything, what you think
and your mind is bigger and greater anything in the world.

Amber Johnston from United States

Comment 65 of 747, added on March 5th, 2008 at 6:32 PM.

When Emily Dickinson comments that the brain is wider than they sky she
means that the brain is so in detail when thinking. Even though the sky is
humongous the thought of the brain is even bigger. In the line “The one the
other will absorb –,” Emily is describing that the brain can absorb more
than the sea like sponges. Dickinson explains that if you put the two side
by side then a person can see that the brain contains more than some of the
biggest things in the world. She explains that if the brain and God were
side by side then they might or might not be the same weight.

Erica from United States

Comment 64 of 747, added on February 28th, 2008 at 9:37 AM.

In "The Brain--Is Wider Than The Sky," Emily Dickinson was showing the
significance and value of the human imagination and knowledge. She mentions
how if they're "put side by side- the one the other will contain". By this,
Dickinson meant that the sky has limitations, however, the imagination and
knowledge of a person doesn't. According to the poem, Emily describes the
brain to be deeper than the sea, stating,"The one the other will absorb."
To my understanding, I believe that Dickinson was describing that this
world and beyond is filled with information and discoveries. If you were to
increase or "absorb" these things, your mind would have the capacity to do
such. In my own comprehension, Emily Dickinson was delivering a powerful
message, showing that we as people often underestimate and misuse the power
of the mind.

Keyaira Littles from United States

Comment 63 of 747, added on February 27th, 2008 at 7:37 PM.

The Brain, the center of Emily Dickinson's "The Brain- is wider than the
sky-," is a magestical tool that people can use to make a world complete.
Vast feelings of emotion stem from the brain and make people react. "The
Brain-is wider than the sky-" is another way to say that our minds are
unrestricted from any thoughts, feelings, or combinations of each. "The
Brain is deeper than the sea-" shows just how much people can comprehend.
Minds are capable of being full of everything imaginable. A lot of times
people fill some of this space with emotions, others fill it with thoughts
that assist in human development. There is no limit to what can be in a
human mind; there is no such thing as a full mind. One thing that could be
a restriction is the very thought that brains have a limit. If limits
existed, then people wouldn't be able to handle the extra things in life
that can possibly make it more enjoyable.

Chris Jones from United States

Comment 62 of 747, added on February 27th, 2008 at 5:44 PM.

I believe that the idea expressed in "The Brain is wider than the Sky" is a
comparison between the brain and the sky expressing that the brain has
knowledge and substance infinite to the sky. Dickinson is simply showing
emphasizing that the human mind is wider than the sky because it holds a
knowledge that is more infinite than the sky. This poem in general is hard
to comprehend but it encouraged me by letting me know that my misd is
deeper than the sky and sea.

Chasteney Richardson from United States

Comment 61 of 747, added on February 27th, 2008 at 6:43 AM.

The Brain is wider than the sky

In the poem “The Brain is wider than the sky,” Dickinson attempts to
emphasize the true size of the human mind. In order to truly portray the
truly infinite size of the human brain, she compares it with the limitless
clear, weather holding sky and the never ending, original habitat, the
ocean. Attempting to have an “awe” moment, she mentions that “the brain is
just the weight of God.” When one thinks about the weight of God, you begin
to have a deep thought where you realize exactly what Ms. Dickinson was
portraying that unlike the ocean and the sky, the human mind has an
infinite, and ironically weightless incomparable capacity which is
learning. Similarly the ocean and the sky are always changing as time goes
on and as time goes on; the human brain is still evolving. Therefore in
conclusion, we end up learning something new from this wonderful poem,
showing that our brains are our most essential parts of our body.

Mark Kimata

Comment 60 of 747, added on February 26th, 2008 at 11:38 PM.

In “The Brain is wider that the Sky,” Dickinson is trying to portray that
the brain has limitless possibilities compared to the expansive physical
attributes of the world. In referring to the lines “The one the other will
contain with ease and you beside” Dickinson is comparing the capacity of
the sky to the capacity of the mind. From that passage, the reader can
infer that minds capability for emotion, knowledge, experience, and memory
cannot fit in the vast space of the sky. Our brain is limitless in its
capacity. Dickinson also compares the depth of the brain to the sea. In the
passage “The one the other will absorb as Sponges Buckets’ do” shows that
the brain has unlimited adaptability and the ability to learn cannot be
compared tot the depth of the sea. The brain compared to the largest
physical features of the world, is truly incomparable because the brains
capacity can never be completely measured. Reading Emily Dickinson’s poem
“The Brain is wider than the Sky” conveys a positive outlook on the ability
of the human brain to attain knowledge beyond the measure of the sky or the
depth of the sea. Positive and incomparable words such as “wider” and
“deeper” promote a positive outlook on the capacity of the brain compared
to the other large aspects of the world.

Alexandra Carter from United States

Comment 59 of 747, added on February 26th, 2008 at 10:00 PM.

In the poem The Brain --Is Wider than the Sky, Emily Dickson explains how
the human mind has great intellect because it can expand and grow to the
widths of the sky. I feel as though she was trying to emphasize the point
that when you extend your thoughts and your imagination, they can be
compared to the widths of the sky. In the line The One the other will
absorb as sponges and buckets do, Emily talks about how our brain
constantly absorbs information every single day therefore we learn causing
the brain to grow. It extends her ideas that the human brain has no limits.
Our minds are a terrible thing to waste therefore we should use it to our
fullest potential.

****LOUWEEZA H***** from United States

Comment 58 of 747, added on February 26th, 2008 at 9:06 PM.

In Emily’s Dickinson ’s poem “The Brain is wider than the Sky,” Dickinson
is comparing many things of nature with the brain. For example when she
says “The brain is wider than the sky”, she is talking about how the brain
has no set boundaries. It can gather as much information as it wants as for
the sky has limits. She also compares “The brain is deeper than the sea”,
by this she means that the brain is like a sponge and can absorb infinite
things, where as the sea can always overflow. Dickinson’s last observation
is that “The brain is just the weight of God”, Emily tries to portray God
and the Human Brain to a remarkable thing that every one needs. She is
saying that like God a person needs a brain to live.

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